It’s finally here. Does “Justice League” live up to the hype or this a DC disappointment?

The Good

For those who thought “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” was too dark and stuffy, “Justice League” alleviates a lot of those problems. This is focused film. It sets up what it needs to, gets to the action and rarely pauses.

The Flash, played by Ezra Miller, was a pleasant surprise. He provided some much-needed comedic moments and was engaging and entertaining. As always, Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) is great and I’m a fan of Ben Affleck as Batman.

Cyborg (Ray Fisher) was also solid and the hints of a deeper friendship between Cyborg and the Flash could be fun in future movies.

Aquaman has his charm too I suppose, though I found him the least likeable of the group.

The team had great chemistry on screen. Unlike the MCU, which seems to have become quip machines, the diversity of personalities played well together.

Kudos to the production team. Directors Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon’s styles formed a cohesive film and given the circumstances, that’s no small feat.

The film also addresses some big things from “Batman v. Superman” quite well, including the death of Superman.

The action was fun to watch and up to par with most super hero films these days with some cool visuals.

If you’re looking for a lean, fun super hero film, you got it, just don’t forget to stay and watch the credits. The teasers at the end are both fun and serve a purpose.

The Bad

There is a downside to trying to trim the fat. We are introduced to Aquaman, the Flash, Cyborg and Steppenwolf, but their introductions lacked any real impact and subplots that were hinted at mainly fell flat. Character moments are few and far between and the ones that existed didn’t really hit home. They felt more like forced inclusions without a payoff.

Steppenwolf is a serviceable, if forgettable villain. This is not an issue that is unique to DC, but without prior comic knowledge, Steppenwolf provided some cool action scenes, but not much else.

The danger in introducing so many characters is some supporting characters are brushed to the side. Lois Lane (Amy Adams) is barely in the film and JK Simmons is criminally underused.

While the action was fun, it didn’t really feel like each character had their “hero” moment, or if they did it wasn’t memorable.

Oh, and one scene from the trailer didn’t make it into the film and I’m actually annoyed about that.

The Final Word

Let’s be clear. This is an entertaining film. It had some big flaws, but it was a fun, occasionally thrilling romp. If you’re looking for your next blockbuster classic, keep looking. If you want one of the stronger entries in the DCU, “Justice League” fits the bill.